Zombie break points.

[garysdickinson]

I noticed that if one or more break points are marked in a custom function and then that custom function is either:

• Cleared using the "Clear Custom Function" choice in the "Edit" pull down menu
• Erased by highlighting all of the text and then deleting in the custom function editor
• Shifted up or down from the "I/O Labels" right click "Shift I/O"

That the breakpoints remain in erased functions.  There is no text in the erased functions, just zombie breakpoints. These zombie break points can be "found" but not cleared.  They just won't die.

Shifting the custom functions up/down causes these zombie break points to appear in functions that don't have break points.  Not only can the zombies not be killed, but they can reproduce and infect functions around them!

I have found that I can remove the zombie break point in custom function #2s if:

• Create a custom function #3.  This function must have more lines of text then the position of the last break point in #2.
• In the "I/O Table" editor click on custom function #2 and then shift this function up.  This causes the text of the break points in the "old" #2 to now be associated with the text of the old #3 and everything is in the new custom function #2
• Now remove the break points from function #2

i-TRiLOGI Version 6.48 build 01

The attached file shows a custom function that had 2 breakpoints, then the text was removed with the "Clear Custom Function" dialog. The pink highlighted zombie break point has been "found", but can't be removed.

Gary D.

[support]

Thank you for informing us. It is best to select "Clear All Breakpoints" from the "Edit" menu after you have done something as drastic as clear a range of custom functions and then redefine the break points in the function you are trying to debug.

We will try to incorporate that auto clearing of break points in deleted custom functions for future release.

[garysdickinson]

Thanks for the "Clear all Breakpoints" suggestion.  I will give this a try.

If you are going to consider auto clearing of Breakpoints for the clearing of a range of functions, I would suggest auto clearing before the shifting of  I/O up/down.

Gary d.

[support]

When you use the Shift I/O up/down menu to shift the custom functions, the breakpoints defined for the function that has been moved should follow the custom function to the new function number.  I tested this with 6.48 build 01 and 7.02 build 01 and it seems to work.

If you select a range of text within a custom function that contain breakpoints and press the delete key, the breakpoints involved will be deleted as well. We have tested this and it seems to work ok under normal operation.

[garysdickinson]

I just rebooted my PC and cannot duplicate the zombie break point behavior.

I don't think that this is worth worrying about.  I've had similar issues with i-TRiLOGI that seem to vanish when I restart either the PC or the Java software.

I should have rebooted stuff before worrying you guys about this.

Gary d.